Mazda CX-9 first drive review

There's something strange about stepping into a car covered in camera-fooling camouflage that looks like it's been a few rounds with an apprentice spray painter. Inside, too, the meticulously finished dash is covered in sheets of vinyl crudely Velcroed into position.

These are the vehicles car makers are usually trying to keep out of the public eye - and motoring writers are top of that list.

But today I've been handed the keys to one of four prototypes for what is a crucial new model for Mazda, the CX-9. The second generation of the brand's seven-seat SUV is an important range-topper for families, and a car that gives Mazda decent exposure in the North American market is was largely designed for.

I soon learn the zebra-in-a-blender look is a great way to get noticed in traffic. The irony with these disguises is that they attract far more attention than if the car had a regular paint job, but car makers don't like running the risk of someone noticing it's a new model and snapping a perfect photo, which in this social media world could traverse the globe in hours.

But it's not the paint job I'm here for. It's the all new body, the completely revised interior and the new turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

Taking the four-cylinder plunge was a big move for Mazda in a category where six has long been the norm. Ditto going backwards on power; the CX-9 makes 169kW (or 186kW on premium unleaded fuel) compared with its predecessor's 204kW.

2016 Mazda CX-9. Photo: Supplied

But the clever work to ensure good response to throttle inputs has paid off, with a meaty thrust of 420Nm of torque available from just 2000rpm. Even below that the CX-9 is muscular and responsive, with the standard six-speed auto nicely calibrated to take advantage of the engine's low-rev focus.

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Keep the accelerator pinned and it's evident there's not as much to be gained at the upper end of the rev range. The engine won't rev past about 5100rpm, instead dropping into a lower gear to tap into its torque. And while it delivers more zip, the engine feels more relaxed and forthcoming, regularly relying on its 1500-3500rpm sweet spot.

It can be hooked up to a front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive system, the latter using electronics to predict when wheelspin is likely and – in many cases - pre-emptively send up to 50 per cent of the drive to the rear wheels to counter it.

In the front-driver there's so much torque so soon that an enthusiastic dart out of a parking spot or an intersection can elicit a hint of torque steer, where the steering wheel loses some feel as it pulls in the direction you're turning.

Otherwise, though, the steering is precise and predictable. It's dialled back some of the alertness of the previous car for a more fluid motion that is relaxed during freeway lane changes or twisting country roads.

Not that it completely disguises the CX-9's bulk. Sure, it's shed about 100kg but it's still more than two tonnes in its heaviest guise. Our car's 20-inch Falken brand tyres (18s will be available on more affordable models) provided more than adequate grip; it's the front end that will reach its limits first, predictably scrubbing slightly wide as they let out a gentle squeal. By then, though, you're travelling faster than most, though.

The CX-9 is also the quietest Mazda to date – by some margin. Whereas previously the brand didn't worry much about quelling road and tyre noise – instead focusing on sharper dynamics and less weight – for CX-9 take two it runs more sound deadening than any other Mazda.

It's no limousine, but is calm enough for relatively tranquil high speed cruises.

Similarly, the suspension is comfortable but with some firmness to keep the dynamics crisp enough for the "zoom zoom" marketing tagline.

Impressions of the interior were two fold; our heavily disguised test car looked understandably messy in parts, but there were glimpses of the attention to detail and effort that's gone into the cabin. A glance around a completed car on a motor show stand the next day confirmed it is an elegant, classy interior that wouldn't be embarrassed among the luxury brigade. Real wood and metal finishes on more expensive models top it off.

Back in our test mule and it was enough to confirm that passenger comfort is excellent in the first two rows. The front seats are nicely supportive yet comfortable. The middle row does without the heavy sculpting for cornering snugness, but there's loads of leg room when the seat is slid back to its rear-most position. Head room is great, too.

The third row is, understandably, a lot tighter, especially for leg room. But for the kids it's designed for it's good in all but one area: ventilation. There are no air vents to that third row, and despite claims by engineers that the second row vents will feed air up and along the roof for those in the back, it's difficult to see them having anything like the impact of a dedicated outlet inches from your face.

Impressively, though, those rear seats have child seat top tether points built in, which is a first among the CX-9's direct rivals (only a handful of seven-seat SUVs allow child seats in the third row, including the Ford Everest and Audi Q7).

Boot space with all seven seats in play is compact, though, and around 20 per cent less accommodating that the model it replaces.

The new CX-9 is due in showrooms around July 2016. Expect pricing to start at about $45,000 for the base model. The range will include at least three but more likely four trim levels, with a new flagship model priced at around $70,000 providing a mainstream alternative to more expensive European-badged seven-seaters.